Monday, March 10, 2014

Beyond "This Week's Quote": Thank you!

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the 2014 Design Bloggers Conference in Atlanta. I had not attended since 2011, when the conference first started, so it was incredible to see how it has grown. With over 400 attendees and a list of top-notch speakers including Jeffrey Alan Marks, Candice Olson, Timothy Corrigan, 1st Dibs Founder Michael Bruno, Susanna Salk, and Stacey Bewkes among others, the event was filled with valuable takeaways as well as great networking opportunities. The amazing Design Sherpa team, lead by Adam Japko did an incredible job with this year’s conference. I spoke on a panel about the business of blogging and monetization and was so pleased that so many of you enjoyed my talk and felt that the information I shared was pertinent and relatable. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed meeting so many of you and hearing your stories. I am always very thankful for the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone, interact with others, and share whatever I can about the incredible journey La Dolce Vita has taken me on. I am blessed to truly be living “the sweet life”!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that I received a really lovely, unexpected surprise last Monday. I was inducted into the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame by Traditional Home’s Editor-in-Chief, Ann Maine and received the honor of “Best Overall Design Blog”. Thank you so much to everyone who voted! I truly am humbled to receive this lovely accolade after almost seven years of blogging and to know that you continue to enjoy La Dolce Vita. I owe so much to you and to this blog that has become ingrained in my identity. It has lead me down the path that was meant for me, even when I had no idea where I was headed. Along the way, all of the pieces have fallen into place in spite of any bumps in the road. During my presentation, I shared an anecdote about the the fact that when I started my blog in 2007, I was still a high school Spanish teacher and I would cry every Sunday night because I didn’t want to go back to my classroom and go through another week of a job that just didn’t feel right. Fast forward seven years and I have experienced the design industry from a handful of valuable angles and ultimately, landed exactly where I was meant to be. Now, I love every second of my life and thank my lucky stars that I get to make a nice living doing what I love—blogging and designing beautiful spaces for my clients.

I included a quote from designer, Timothy Corrigan (a major inspiration for me in so many ways; the man is brilliant.) at the beginning of this post and want to repeat it to you all. During his inspiring presentation on brand development, Timothy uttered words that completely resonated with me. He said, “when you follow the path that is right for you, the universe will support you.” I agree wholeheartedly and know this to be true because I have experienced it myself. I am living proof. I believe in the power of intention. Decide what you want. Let it be known—put it out there. Work fastidiously and unrelentingly and you’ll see how the universe will embrace you and lead you down the path that was meant for you. It has been an incredible week and an amazing seven years and for that I thank you. Stay tuned because lots of exciting things are currently in the works and I look forward to sharing them with you!

Congratulations, Paloma! Such a well deserved honor! You've been such an inspiration to me (you're part of the reason I started blogging!) and to so many others. Hope to meet you at the conference next year!

Paloma-Congratulations on a job well done! You spoke to those in attendance at #DBC2014 with heart and it is clearly evident that you are passionate about what you do, which is why you are the success that you have become. A huge kudos to you! XO, Jeanne